Mechanical properties of expanded polystyrene beads stabilized lightweight soil

To investigate the mechanical properties of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Beads Stabilized Lightweight Soil (EBSLS), Laboratory studies were conducted. Totally 20 sets of specimens according to the complete test design were prepared and tested with unconfined compressive test and consolidated drained triaxial test. Results showed that dry density of EBSLS ($0.67-1.62g/cm^3$) decreases dramatically with the increase of EPS beads volumetric content, while increase slightly with the increase of cement content. Unconfined compressive strength (10-2580 kPa) increases dramatically in parabolic relationship with the increase of cement content, while decreases with the increase of EPS beads volumetric content in hyperbolic relationship. Cohesion (31.1-257.5 kPa) increases with the increase of cement content because it is mainly caused by the bonding function of hydration products of cement. The more EPS beads volumetric content is, the less dramatically the increase is, which is a result of the cohesion between hydration products of cement and EPS beads is less than that between hydration products of cement and sand particles. Friction angle ($14.92-47.42^{\circ}$) decreases with the increase of EPS beads volumetric content, which is caused by the smoother surfaces of EPS beads than sand grains. The stress strain curves of EBSLS tend to be more softening with the increase of EPS beads content or the decrease of cement content. The shear contraction of EBSLS increases with the increase of $c_e$ or the decrease of $c_c$. The results provided quantitative relationships between physico-mechanical properties of EBSLS and material proportion, and design process for engineering application of EBSLS.